Published by: Ontario Public Drug Programs

Date Issued: December 15, 2016

Bulletin Number: 4684

This is a reminder that as communicated in INFOBulletin #4675, and subsequently INFOBulletin #4682, the following products will be delisted from the Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) Formulary/Comparative Drug Index effective with the January 2017 ODB Formulary update:

Higher strengths of long-acting opioids, including:

Morphine 200 mg tablets;

Hydromorphone 24 mg and 30 mg capsules;

Fentanyl 75 mcg/hr and 100 mcg/hr patches; and

Meperidine 50 mg tablets.

Lower-strength, long-acting opioids will continue to be funded under the ODB program. Therefore, patients who may need higher doses of long-acting opioids for adequate pain management may continue to be prescribed lower-strength formulations. It is important that healthcare providers assess patients individually and make changes to therapy in a measured manner with appropriate support and monitoring.

Prescribers are reminded that access to high-strength long-acting opioids will be maintained for patients requiring palliative care through the ODB program’s:

Palliative Care Facilitated Access (PCFA) mechanism, for physicians who are registered PCFA prescribers through the Ontario Medical Association; and

Exceptional Access Program (EAP)Telephone Request Service (TRS) for physicians who are not PCFA prescribers according to specific criteria.